"Jerry Jones is the only person who can actually fix this and he also might be the only person who doesn't know it is broken."- 12/30/13
Daily Commentary on the Dallas Sports Scene - By Bob Sturm - Sportsradio 1310, The Ticket

It seemed like it had so much promise after two months…Oh well. 5-16 since the Cowboys arrived in Oxnard is not going to reel in the leaders…

By the way, since people like me enjoy blaming Kenny Rogers for his role in making this season implode, let’s take a quick look at the pitcher who has been awesome, but also has gained a reputation of doing his finest work prior to the All-Star Game:

Fortunately for John Hart, Tom Hicks, and Buck Showalter, though, football season is starting soon, and the DFW media (along with a lot of fans) are now simply ignoring the Rangers.

This belly-flopping debacle ends up flying under the radar, because they are out of the race, and other than the beat writers and the die-hard baseball fans, it seems no one really cares what the Rangers are doing right now.

One would think that that would be bad news to the folks running the team...but with the way this team has been mis-managed since the offseason began, the people in charge of the Rangers are probably just happy to be out of the line of fire, and that this poorly thought out, poorly constructed team is being allowed to wither and die down the stretch away from the public eye.

Perhaps you are the one person who did not believe that the Cowboys thought Jacob Rogers was a sissy. If so, Check this out …

"We got our expectations up because he played well early in camp, but when you look at his injury situation in college and how he's trying to prove himself as a young player in the NFL," Jones said of Rogers, "sometimes you have to play through something like this.

"We didn't think it was that serious. It was discouraging when he decided to have surgery. We had hopes that he would play through it."

Assure yourself this: Jacob Rogers will never be confused for Willis Reed, Kirk Gibson, or Emmitt Smith in the Cowboys Locker-room.

Are you living on this planet? You never saw Gene Wilder in Wiilie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory? You never, ever, cease to amaze me. You continue to reveal tid bids of your mal developed upbringing/background. Its really stunning. And it doesn't start or end with movies. you cover the entire spectrum. I like you and you seem normal. but normal you are not. I cant imagine what its like to go thru life void of the experiences 99.9999 percent other humans have. you're like a strange science experiement.

thanks for taking my email,

Chuck Cole

and this one, about Kyle Field, and my claim it is the finest stadium in college football:

When you talk about how you like watching a game at Kyle field you are talk the atmosphere, not the stadium. Kyle is one of the worst for good seats close to the field, sight lines, concessions ect.. Even the head of facilities at A&M said Kyle is far behind several stadiums in the Big 12 in quality seats, suites, concessions, parking. They don't call Kyle the biggest tackle box in the country.

Thanks!David Alexander

My actual response:

how does that change what I have said? It is the best place to see a college game in America- I have taken into consideration the seats I have had 5 different times, and despite your claims, I have still enjoyed myself each time- It seems like you want me to not like Kyle due to sight lines. That is like asking me to not like Wrigley Field because the leg room is not enough- The total package gives the advantage to Kyle and Wrigley-

Thanks for listening to BaD Radio!

Bob

And then there are times when you ask me questions about hockey:

Dear SportsSturm,

I was checking out the three players the Stars signed yesterday. I was impressed with all three but confused by one and wondered if you are aware of the guy or know someone I could ask about this. Hedburg I've seen play with the Penguins and is a more than adequate back-up goalie . I'm also glad we're getting Robidas back. I remember being impressed with his speed and puck-handling ability, and also pleasantly surprised with his toughness and grit for a guy of his size. My confusion is with the last guy Mario Scalzo. I'm familiar with him because of a few chance broadcasts on cable. During the strike I caught a few junior hockey games of the Quebec major junior league with the Rimouski Oceanic of which Mario and Syndney Crosby were teamates. Scalzo stuck out because he had a hat trick in a game that Crosby's goal streak was broken. My confusion is how is this guy a fee agent coming out of juniors and not a draft pick. Any idea?

Jack

From time to time, I will have no idea what the answer is, so I enlist an expert buddy to answer:

Hey Bob,

Scalzo, 20, was a late bloomer and was not drafted in either of his draft years (2003 or 2004). Just like the NBA, if you are not drafted, you are a free agent. He played as an ``over-ager'' in the QMJHL and when he completed his time there last spring, he became an unrestricted free agent. In a lot of ways, his acquisition is just like the Stars' signing of Junior Lessard last season. Dallas is picking up extra prospects just by putting on a hard sell and paying a little free agent money.Scalzo is an interesting player. He was traded from Victoriaville to Rimouski in the middle of last season. Before the trade, he had 30 points (11 goals, 19 assists) in 37 games. After the trade, he was put on Rimouski's top unit (they used five-man units like the Russians and Scotty Bowman) and had 44 points in 23 games. Of course, Rimouski's top unit also included Sidney Crosby. So is the kid great or was he just along for the ride on a great team?

Only time will tell.

Mike Heika

Thanks, Mike! Speaking of media friends, here is another email from freelance author, Dan McGraw about Tom Hicks and his frugal ways:

Boys:

Just ran some numbers and the profit the rangers are making this year is going to be huge.

1) $46 million for local and national media rights.2) 2.5 million fans at $17 avg ticket = $42.5 million3) 120 luxury suites that go between $100,000 and $175,000. Let's use $120,000 as a low avg. That equals $14.4 million.4) About 8,000 cars a game at $8 a car (again, on the low side) for 82 home games = $5.2 million

So, we add those up and we come in at $108.1 million before any of the many other revenues are added in: Ameriquest naming rights, signage, sponsorships, concessions (this is very big with $5 beers), MLB marketing ( video games, licensed gear, etc.), and The Washington Nationals money. I figure that the revenues coming in this year will run between $120 to $140 million. And again, these are on the conservative side.

We all know what the players payroll is. Teams have usually come in with player costs at about 60-70% of revenues, and still make money. You can look at the salary cap levels of the NFL and NHL, and the percentages the teams in those leagues HAVE to pay and profit highly. It looks like the Rangers are coming in at about 40% or less. We all know there are lots of other costs besides players salaries, but there is no way they are going to be anywhere close to the players salaries. That is always more than the rest (front office, advertising, scouts, minor league salaries, insurance, etc.) added up.

Use these numbers if you want, and someone please ask Hicks about these. He doesn't return my calls for some reason.

23 comments:

AttnyDan
said...

Great early morning blog, Sports Sturm!!

One thought about the Rangers revenue: I sure would like to know what their margin is. I'm sure that they expense the air the team breathes to keep expenses close to revenue so they can claim they didn't "make" any money.

The entire HSG company line is such B.S. I don't see how anyone can believe anything that comes out of that organization.

Pardon me while I start drinking at 8:00 in the morning so I can get through that Hansen beating at 12:00 today.

For some reason, every spring we all get suckered into the Rangers. For the last five years, they have put out crap for us to watch and for some reason, alot of us still watch it. I only really get into it once the Mavs and Stars are out of the playoffs, but you're right, the Rangers are just a gap filler in June and July to get us through to Cowboys Training Camp. That's what they always have been and always will be....

"the people in charge of the Rangers are probably just happy to be out of the line of fire, and that this poorly thought out, poorly constructed team is being allowed to wither and die down the stretch away from the public eye."

That is the story and has been the story of the Texas Rangers forever. A non-factor, indifference, you fill in the rest. This team is a waste of space in our market. Their future is not bright. They will always suck here. I hate baseball because I live here. When is the season over. Go cowboys...

I drink on Mondays and Fridays from 10:00 to 1:00 during football seasons. I sure helps to get rid of the nasty after taste left by Hansen. Ugh.

MoneyDip is probably right about the expense thing, but that's precisely what AttnyDan was saying--without accurate expenses numbers, revenue alone means nothing. I'm sure the expenses of a pro franchise are eye-opening.

So, the question is, did the Rangers expense Raffy and Jose's steroids?

Got his stomach stapled. He's gone from a Bernese Mountain Dawg to, well, just about a greyhound. The Dawg weighed 539 at the time of the stapling, a year ago. He's down to 249. That's a 290-pound loss. He wants to get to 190.

Holy crap! E'van is huge!! Why are the two chicks looking so scared/happy?

btw Bob, I've taken an unscientific poll on the fender-bender issue and I don't think you were so wrong. Just because you've moved to Texas doesn't mean you HAVE to become confrontational-vigilante-BOB.

Despite what the rest of the world thinks now, some of us Texans understand the value of going through the proper channels.